What if Joe Louis never became a boxer? Who'd have been champ?

Joe Louis knocked out the five lineal heavyweight champions who came before him - Sharkey, Schmeling, Carnera, Baer and Braddock.

Louis also knocked out one of the lineal champs who followed him - Jersey Joe Walcott.

In between those wins, he scored 25 successful title defenses against top fighters of his day - Lou Nova, Buddy Baer, Billy Conn, John Henry Lewis, Bob Pastor, Tony Galento, Tommy Loughran, Arturo Godoy, Nathan Mann, Tami Mauriello.

He also beat the likes of Jimmy Bivins (who was considered the "Duration" light heavy and heavyweight champ during WWII) and Lee Savold (who was considered the "World" champ by the British Boxing Board of Control when Charles was the NBA champ after Louis retired). And Louis knocked off Charley Retzlaff and Paulino Uzcudan before he won the title.

BUT WHAT IF JOE LOUIS HAD NEVER BECOME A BOXER?

How would the heavyweight landscape of the 1930s, 1940s even the 1950s have been different if Joe Louis never existed?

Would Schmeling have regained the title? Would Baer have regained the title?

Who would've won the title if they didn't have to go through Joe Louis?

Would Lou Nova have been champ? Buddy Baer?

Would other African-Americans - like Ezzard Charles and Jersey Joe Walcott - have even been given the chance to fight for a heavyweight title ... forget fighting each other for a vacant strap?

Hell, would Archie Moore or even Floyd Patterson been allowed to fight for the title when he did? (Blacks couldn't even drink from the same water fountains as whites when Patterson won the title.)

Any thoughts? :think

Any timelines of who may have beaten whom? :huh

Please share. :good

 

Who do you think Schmeling and Conn would've beaten to become champ?

Is there a list of who you think may have beaten whom to become champ during the 30s and 40s (even 50s)?

One of those alternate reality sort of things.:think

 

Max Schmeling certainly seems like he could've knocked off Braddock.

But I wonder if Schmeling would've been seen as a viable contender if he hadn't beaten Louis (since Joe didn't exist).

Here are the ratings five months before Baer defended against Braddock. (Braddock isn't even rated.)

RING ratings for January 1935:

Champion: Max Baer
1. Steve Hamas
2. Primo Carnera
3. Art Lasky
4. Max Schmeling
5. Joe Louis (so let's remove him)
6. Patsy Perroni
7. King Levinksy
8. Jack Peterson
9. Natie Brown
10. Charley Retzlaff

Let's say Baer goes ahead and fights Braddock.

What would've happened if Braddock had faced Carnera? If Louis wouldn't have existed, Carnera wouldn't have been butchered by him in 1935.

Would Carnera beat Braddock?

Or what if Braddock rematched with someone he beat on the way to fighting Baer, like Art Lasky?

What if Baer rematched with Braddock? Does anyone beat Baer? Does Schmeling get a rematch with Baer? Could he regain the title against Baer?

Why did highly rated Steve Hamas quit after losing to Schmeling in 1935? Did he get injured. If Schmeling had regained the title, would he have had a rubber match with Hamas?

I'm just throwing things out.

Some guys like Retzlaff, or former champs like Baer and even Carnera may have been looked at more favorably in the 1930s if they never fought Louis. Whereas Schmeling may have not been viewed as highly if he never stopped Louis.

Arturo Godoy and Tommy Loughran had quite a series. Either of them win the world title? If so, who do they beat?

If Billy Conn had moved up later, who would he have faced for the title?

What about Maxie Rosenbloom? Does he go for the heavyweight crown if there aren't any monsters at the top?

Would you pick Rosenbloom to beat Braddock for the title?

 

Care to put together a list of who may have beaten whom?

It would be interesting to see what the heavyweight lineage may have looked like if Louis hadn't boxed, and if he hadn't beaten some guys, and if he hadn't opened the doors he did.

Would Charles and Walcott have even gotten a shot if the last black heavyweight champ had still been Jack Johnson?

If you remove them, the heavyweight lineage in the 1940s and early 50s certainly looks different as well.

It's just not about who would've been champ in the 1930s, but in the 1940s AND 50s as well.

 

Based on his record, I think he might have, too.

That certainly would've been interesting with WWII around the corner if there was a light-punching Jewish heavyweight champion ... especially if Schmeling was considered a top heavyweight challenger after beating Hamas.

Or would Rosenbloom have lost it as quickly as he won it? And to whom?

Since Lee Ramage had a COUPLE OF WINS over Rosenbloom in 1934, would he have considered himself the "uncrowned champ?":huh If Ramage hadn't lost to Louis in 1934/35, Ramage would've been on quite a tear.

Would Lee Ramage have been heavyweight champion?

Could be?

 

Thank you.

Any possible scenarios you care to add? Either in the 1930s, 40s or 50s?

There aren't any wrong answers.

Just sort of brainstorming possible scenarios. :good